Knockdown decoy airplane and package



KNOCK-DOWN DECOY AIRPLANE AND PACKAGE Filed Jan. 16, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Q Q Q? Inventor:

Y K a MPauZR. Zi/man Oct. 10, 1944. R R. GOLDMAN 2,360,220

KNOCK DOWN DECOY AIRPLANE AND PACKAGE Y Filed Jan. 16. 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Oct. 10, 1944 zseaz 2,360,220 KNooKnoWN DECOY AIRPLANE AND PAGKAG Paul R. Goldman, Andover, Mass. Application January 16, 1943, Serial No. 472,573

1 Claim. (01. 35-25) My present invention relates to the provision of decoy or dummy airplanes, particularly for war uses. Such simulated airplanes generally are of the full size or substantially so of the particular model of plane represented. The invention aims to furnish such decoy devices of lightweight and knock-down construction adapting. them to be packed and transported in a relatively small compass and rapidly assembled and set out for use, the invention accordingly including the provision of a package or transportable unit comprising the several dismantled sections and parts of a decoy plane all compactly disposed in a single shipping container of materially less length than the plane fuselage.

In the drawings illustrating by way of example one embodiment of the invention:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of-a typical package or shipping unit, the container being partly open to show the decoy plane in it;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of an assembled decoy plane, on a smaller scale; and

Fig. 3 is an expanded {perspective view of the main sections and elements of a typical decoy plane of the invention.

In connection with military land operations it is proposed to set out at suitable locations imitation airplanes as decoys to mislead the enemy and draw its attack to false targets, where any damage is immaterial. Such decoys as viewed from the air must present the appearance of actual planes at rest on the ground but otherwise, structurally, they need have little or nothing beyond such visual resemblance to the airplane simulated.

Referring first more particularly to Figs. 2 and 3, the imitation or decoy plane represented by way of example is of the low-wing monoplane type. It comprises a sectionalized fuselage herein including three main parts, namely, a nose or false engine section A, a forward fuselage or cockpit section B and a rear fuselage or tail section C. The nose section A is equipped with an imitation propeller preferably rotatably supported on a wood or other bearing pin or the like in a removable manner. The cockpit section Bin this instance includes an imitation cowl '5. Along its lower side portions it is formed with wing 1 bases or attaching stubs 6. The rear section or empennage C is equipped with a demountable horizontal stabilizer and rudder element 1 and a:. vertical fin and rudder element 8. These are adapted to be set in place on and secured to the tail section C as by bolts and wing nuts or other quickly and easily adjustable securing means, including for example a key-like formation 8a on the vertical element 8 adapted to extend through an opening la in the horizontal stabilizer and rudder element 1 and into a corresponding parts as stowed aperture Ila at the upper rear portion of the tail section C.

The decoy plane, which it is understood has approximately the actual overall dimensions as the real airplane simulated by it, further comprises two wing sections D and E adapted for demountable attachment at the wing bases 6 of the cockpit section B, these wing sections being formed as a right and a left respectively. To facilitate packing into a small space these wing sections are adapted to be collapsed or folded, as by the provision of folding or demountable trailing edge portions 9 and tip portions it). In Fig. 3 these trailing edge portions of the wing sections D and E are'shown hinged as at 9a at their upper. surfaces, for folding them over fiatwise onto the upper surfaces of the main wing portion. The tip sections in also are foldable, as by means of hinges Hla herein along their under surfaces, adapting them to be swung down under and up against or into the main part of the wing, the latter preferably having recesses or wells at their under sides in which the wing tips l0 seat in their folded position. Turn buttons, hooks, brackets or other holding means, not shown, are provided to hold the wing parts in their outspread erected positions.

While a sectionalized dummy airplane as comprised in the present invention may be variously constructed, I preferably employ wood substantially throughout. For example, the several sections A, B, C of the fuselage as illustrated are hollow tubular elements or shells, with a mere skeleton framing, if any, such as the small plurality of longitudinal members ll, Fig. 3, and a few widely spaced circumferential members or ribs, usually at the ends of the given section, as indicated at I2. On such skeletonized frame, or on a form subsequently removed, there is wrapped or otherwise applied the wall material. This may be substantially self-supporting, in instances where there is little or no under frame, and such as to provide a, seemingly firm wall formation over any light framing, and in any case of a character to withstand exposure to any likely weather conditions at the field of use.

Preferably I employ for the purpose a wood veneer orplywood, usually two or more thin wood plies bonded together. This covering or shellformingmaterial desirably is treated to render it substantially waterproof, either before or after installation. Similarly, the several parts of the wing sections D and E may consist of a light open framing such as provided by the longitudinal strips and relatively widely spaced cross strips as indicated at l3, [4 respectively in Fig. l. The, covering wood veneer, plywood or other panelling is applied to the wing framing to fur nish top and vertical edge surfaces. At their underfaces the wing elements may be left open in a manner such as seen in Fig. 1. At their ends adjacent the cockpit section B the wings may have projecting flanges of the veneer or plywood material, adapted to overlap with the wing stubs 6. The wing sections are removably assembled to the plane body by suitable fastening means such as bolt-secured straps, brackets and the life, including jointed ties which may extend through the body so as to support the wings substantially as a structural unit with the latter. The plurality of body or fuselage sections are similarly attachable in endwise mating relation.

An important feature of the invention is the construction and arrangement of the several sections for nesting and compact stowing im a shipping container or packing case such as represented in Fig. 1. As there shown it comprises a packaging box or case of plywood or other lightweight material, having a bottom wall l5, end walls 16, longitudinal side walls I! and a top or cover wall I8, any or all of which ma be hingedly connected for quick opening.

By reason of the plural sectioning of the fuse lage and the relative proportioning of its several sections substantially as illustrated, the packing container for this decoy plane need have an overall length of but about one-third that of the assembled plane. In the illustrated example the major dimension required for the package is practically only that of the rear fuselage section C.

For packing, said section C is reversed endwise and slid tail foremost into the cockpit sectionB, from the rear of the latter. The nose or engine section A also is reversed endwise and nestled into the open and then rearwardly facing larger end of the tail section C, all substantially as indicated in'Fig. 1. Thetrailing edge and tip poi tions 9 and ID of thetwo wing sections D and E are folded fiatwise against their corresponding main wing portions. In their flatwise collapsed conditions the two Wing sections are placed upright within the container, along the opposite sides of the nested fuselage sections, also as seen in Fig. l. The horizontal and vertical elements 1 and 8 of the empennage, demounted before nesting of the fuselage sections, are conveniently secured flatwise against the inner face of the container cover l8, as b means of clamps, straps or the like adjustable fasteners, not shown.

The imitation plane desirably further comprises an undercarriage or landing gear insimulation of the corresponding model of actual airplane. As best seen in Fig. 2 such gear may section A or upon the container floor adjacent said section. Upon removal of the wheels the vertical struts l9 may be folded up flatwise against, or into open under portions lob, lb of the corresponding wing sections D and E. They are held down in supporting position, in the set-up condition of the plane as in Fig. 2, as by means of diagonal braces 22 hinged at one 01 the opposite end, either to the vertical struts I9 or to the underportion of the cockpit section B and being releasably secured at their non-hinged ends.

The propeller 4 including the cap piece 4a,

"which may or may not be detachable, as preferred, is readily received within the container where it may be secured flatwise against the upper inner face of one side wall or it may set, cap piece down, between the fuselage sections and one of the wing sections D or E. It will be understood that the various parts or sections as packed in the container are secured in position by any convenient form of anchoring means such as strapping, hooks, ties and the like carried by the container walls and supplemented by lightweight bracing members if desired. With the parts thus packed the package as a whole is placed in full readiness for shipment by erecting and fastening any hinged vertical wall of the case and closing down and securing the cover carrying the tail stabilizer and fin elements as already described.

In accordance with the invention a decoy plane having a set up overall fore and aft length of for example about 35 feet, and with proportionate wing spread, may be knocked-down and stowed in a packaging container having dimensions of but about 12 x 5 x 4 feet or even less in some instances. Where still further reduced length for the package or transporting unit is desired, the fuselage may be still further sectioned, as by constructing the rear section C in two detachable and nesting sections, or the fuselage as a whole may be divided into an even greater plurality of sections relatively proportioned as to length and diameter so as to nest in the manner disclosed.

My invention is not limited to the particular embodiment as illustrated and described, its scope being pointed out in the following claim.

I claim:

A portable light-weight knock-down airplanesimulating or dummy device of approximate overall actual size of the airplane to be simulated, said device comprising an elongated sectional hollow body composed of a plurality of separable shell-like tubular sections formed of thin woodveneer over skeleton wood framing of minimum weight, said sections proportioned, constructed and arranged for telescoping nesting reversely one Within another'to present a nested collection of a length not substantially more than about one-third that of the assembled body, wingsimulating sections detachably connected at opposite sides of an intermediate body section, each wing-simulating section comprising a lightweight wood frame carrying a thin wood-veneer top-surface layer and being substantially open below, said wing-simulating sections including longitudinal edge and outer end portions connected for folding flatwise against their main portions, readily demountable vertical and horizontal stabilizer and rudder elements of woodveneer attachable to the tail section of the body, and a wood-formed landing gear including dummy pneumatic wheels and hinged supporting struts, the latter adapted to be positioned flatwise within open portions of the respective wingsimulating sections.

PAUL R. GOLDMAN. 

